Filler valve for liquid gas lighters



March 19, 1968 KYUJIRO KAJITA I FILLER VALVE FOR LIQUID GAS LIGHTERSFiled July 6, 1965 FlCl-l.

INVENTOR 1 4 znnn Uited States Patent FILLER VALVE FOR LIQUID GASLIGHTERS Kyujiro Kajita, 108 Kobinata Suido-cho, Buukyo-ku,

Tokyo, Japan Filed July 6, 1965, Ser. No. 469,694 Claims priority,application Japan, Oct. 12, 1964, 39/ 57,770 6 Claims. (Cl. 141-4)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A filler valve used with liquid gas lightershaving an outer tubular section and a spring mounted inner tubularsection. A porous member is mounted adjacent the opening through whichfuel is fed from a fuel supply so as to absorb some of the escapingliquid and thereby cool the area and casing by means of the process ofevaporation of the liquid from the porous material.

This invention relates to lighter structure and is particularlyconcerned with lighters fueled by combustible gas of the butane typewhich assumes gaseous form when released under usual atmospherictemperatures and pressure but which remain largely in liquid form atsuch temperatures when held under sufficient pressure. This inventionrelates more particularly to the filler mechanism used in accordancewith the lighter structure.

Liquified gas pyrophoric lighters in which a reservoir within thelighter is connected to a filler valve through which a gas enters thereservoir from a supply container and is released through a burner incontrolled amounts to be lit by a spark supplying a flame, the size ofwhich is controlled by the flow of gas released at the burner, are knownin the prior art.

In filling a reservoir using valves of the prior art, use has been madeof the diiference of the pressure of the gas inside the lighterreservoir as compared to the pressure inside the filler can, the latterhaving a higher pressure in order for the gas to flow into the reservoirof the lighter. When the lighter has been kept in the pocket and warmedfrom the heat of the body or by handling of the lighter, the pressure ofthe gas in the reservoir of the lighter is increased so that in orderfor the gas to be inserted through the filler valve into the reservoireither the lighter must be cooled and the gas pressure lowered in thereservoir or the gas pressure in the filler can must be increased bywarming of the can making the filling of the reservoir very inconvenientfor practical use with these valves.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to fill the reservoirof a gas lighter with the greatest possible quantity of gas in liquifiedform by lowering the pressure of the gas in the reservoir through acooling process.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a lighter having areservoir which is supplied with liquified gas through a filler valvefrom a supply container while a portion of the liquified gas incooperation with the elements of the filler valve cools the lighterthereby lowering the pressure of the gas in the reservoir of thelighter.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant inventionwill be apparent from the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a lighter with the filler valve pointedupward and a central vertical section taken through the filler valve ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a similar View to that of FIG 1 with a similarly sectionedview of the filler valve of the present invention now shown in a fillingposition, the filling container being shown only in part.

With reference to FIG. 1, the filler valve 10 is shown in cross sectionin a closed position. The valve 10 struc- 3,373,776 Patented Mar. 19,1968 ture has a stationary part 11 of the valve and a movable part 12contained therein.

Stationary part 11 of the valve has a tubular member 13 internallythreaded at its lower end to receive a cap 14 externally threaded at itssides and having an opening 16 at its bottom.

The upper or opposite end of tubular member 13 from which cap 14 isattached has a circular internal projection 17 leaving an opening 18 atthat end of tubular member 13.

Movable part 12 of the valve 10 has a stem portion 21 extending from acircular shoulder 22. Its opposite end is formed with a recess 23therein. Resting on circular shoulder 22 and firmly attached thereto isa fluid-tight ring 24 fitted around stem portion 21 in a manner to closeopening 18 in cooperation with stem portion 21. A compression spring 26has one end resting within cap 14 and its opposite end extending withinrecess 23 of movable part 12 in such position so as to press movablepart 12 against the circular internal projection 17 of tubular member 13A porous material ring 27 is supported on circular internal projection17 on the opposite side of the projection 17 which contacts fluid-tightring 24. Retaining porous material ring 27 in position so that it willnot fall away from filler valve 10 when this valve is moved to otherpositions due to movement of the lighter, is an additional internalprojection 19 on the outer end of tubular member 13.

For secure insertion of stationary part 11.within the wall 30 of thereservoir of the lighter, tubular member 13 has external threads 31below a flanged portion 32 with a fluid tight ring 33 resting on theshoulder of the flanged portion 32 preventing leakage of gas from thereservoir along the outer surface of tubular member 13 where it isscrewed into wall 30 of the reservoir of the lighter.

Filler valve 10 in the filling position is shown in FIG. 2. A supply can35 has its spout 36 inserted through an opening in porous material ring27 into opening 18 of tubular member 13.

In order to pass the liquid gas from the supply can 35 into thereservoir of the lighter through filler valve 10, spout 36 of supply can35 is pushed into opening 18 with a greater pressure against stemportion 21 than that exerted by compression spring 26 in a directionagainst the force of the spring. This movement of movable part 12 movesthe fluid-tight ring 24 away from 0pening18 making way for the liquidgas to pass through opening 18 into tubular member 13 and then throughopening 16 in cap 14 into the reservoir of the lighter.

The liquid gas coming out of the spout 36 of supply can 35 will bepartially fed into the reservoir of the lighter as mentioned above andat the same time a portion of the liquid gas will pass out throughopening 18 Wetting the porous material ring 27. The liquid gas which iscaught by porous material ring 27 will then slowly evaporate from thisporous material ring 27 As the liquid gas evaporates heat will be takenfrom the surrounding portion of the stationary part 11 of filler valve10 and by conduction from the wall 30 of the reservoir of the lighter.Thus the wall of the reservoir and also the body of the lighter will bequickly cooled thereby lowering the pressure of the gas inside thereservoir. In this manner a larger quantity of liquid gas will enter thereservoir due to the comparative differences in pressure inthe reservoirwith that in supply can 35.

Therefore, even when the lighter has been warmed through use or handlingthereby raising the gas pressure inside the reservoir to a point higherthan the pressure inside the supply can, it will not be necessary to useother means to cool the lighter or to attempt to heat the supply can.Through he apparatus and method of the present invention a lighterreservoir may be conveniently filled. With the quantity of liquid gasentering the reservoir controlled through use of the porous materialring 27 and in accordance with this by the lowering of the gas pressureinside the lighter reservoir to a point lower than the gas pressurewithin the supply can, more liquid gas may be inserted into thereservoir by this means.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention and thereforethe invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings anddescribed in the specification but only as indicated in the appendedclaims.'

What is claimed is:

1. A lighter constructed to be charged with liquefied gas fuel underpressure and including in combination,

a casing having therein a fuel reservoir;

and fuel charging means carried by said casing,

said fuel charging means including an outer hollow tubular valve memberfixed with respect to said casing and having an internal projectingportion on the outer end of said outer valve member forming a passagefrom inside the outer hollow tubular valve member out of said outervalve member,

an inner valve member having an imperforate outer stem portion mountedto move in said hollow tubular outer valve member between open andclosed positions in substantially rectilinear movement inwardly andoutwardly with respect to said outer valve member,

and a porous cooling means for absorbing liquefied gas fuel forevaporation to the atmosphere outside said casing, held on an outerportion of said outer valve member externally of said inner valve memberand located adjacent and in operative communication with said passage,

said porous cooling means having an outwardly directed surface exposedto the atmosphere and a passage for the liquefied gas through said meanslocated concentrically with said passage formed by said internalprojecting portion whereby liquefied gas escaping through said passagesduring filling of said fuel reservoir through said fuel charging meanswets said porous member and then evaporates these from cooling said fuelreservoir.

2. The lighter of claim 1, further characterized by said stem portion onone end positioned to pass into said passage formed by said internalprojecting portion,

and said inner valve member having a recessed portion on the oppositeend from said stem portion.

3. The lighter of claim 2, further characterized by a cap memberthreaded into said outer valve member at the opposite end from saidinternal projecting portion on said outer valve member and having anopening therethrough to said fuel reservoir.

4. The lighter of claim 3, further characterized by compression springmeans extending between and into said cap member on one of its ends andinto said recessed portion of said inner valve member on the other ofits ends.

5. A lighter constructed to be charged with liquefied gas fuel underpressure and including in combination,

a casing having therein a fuel reservoir,

and fuel charging means carried by said casing,

said fuel charging means including an outer hollow tubular valve memberfixed with respect to said casing having a first internal projectingportion on the outer end of said outer valve member forming a passageout of said outer valve member,

an inner valve member having a stem portion on one end and a recessedportion on its opposite end and mounted to move in said hollow tubularouter valve member between open and closed positions in substantiallyrectilinear movement inwardly and outwardly with respect to said outervalve member,

a fluid-tight ring mounted around the base of said stem portion so as toclose said passage in said outer valve member when positioned againstsaid internal projecting portion,

a cap member threaded into the end of said outer valve member oppositefrom said internal projecting portion and having an opening therethroughinto said fuel reservoir,

compression spring means normally forcing said inner valve member awayfrom said cap member with one end of said spring means in said recessedportion of said inner valve member and the opposite end of said springmeans in said cap member,

a porous ring-shaped means having an outwardly directed surface andhaving its center opening substantially over said passage in said outervalve member for passage of liquefied gas therethrough and supported onsaid internal projecting portion of said outer valve member,

and a second internal projecting portion on said outer valve membersupporting said ring-shaped means between it and said first internalprojecting portion and extending over only a portion of a surface ofsaid porous member facing outward of said casing leaving the remainderof the outwardly facing surface of said porous member exposed to theatmosphere whereby liquefied gas escaping through said passage duringfilling of said fuel reservoir through said fuel charging means wetssaid porous member and then evaporates therefrom cooling said fuelreservoir.

6. Method of filling a lighter constructed to be charged with liquefiedgas fuel under pressure which comprises filling liquefied gas from afuel supply can through a passageway leading into the tank of thelighter,

allowing a portion of the liquefied gas to escape out of the passagewayaway from said tank,

absorbing the escaping liquefied gas in a porous means,

and allowing controlled evaporation of the liquefied gas from saidporous means provided at the top of said passageway to the atmospherethereby cooling said tank of the lighter and lowering the pressure ofgas confined therein whereby a greater quantity of liquefied gas may betransferred to said tank from said fuel supply.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,019,807 2/1962 Projahn 137-588X 3,234,762 2/ 1966 Ohno. 3,319,670 5/ 1967 Kitabayashi.

FOREIGN PATENTS 979,609 l/ 1965 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application 1,156,432, October 1963,Altenpohl.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner,

E. J. EARLS, Assistant Examiner,

